Top: Residents of Vitthalwadi-Anandnagar who are adversely affected by the change. Below: The new flood line on Google Maps, the river and the other societies affected. PIC: MANOJ BIDKAR

Irrigation department says the change is ‘slight’; lawyer asserts that the original flood line of 2011 was correct

After much deliberation on inking the flood line by the Mutha river bed and the ensuing heartburn among residents whose homes have thereby been deemed illegal, a fresh twist has emerged in the issue now. In transferring the blueprint from its drawing board representation to Google Maps, the ‘blue line’ stands renegotiated. It now embraces a larger swathe of habitation, leaving many more people vulnerable, with their homes likely to be declared illegal eventually.

The irrigation department’s endeavour to simplify the visual by showing the image on Google Maps and releasing the same for the public last week has compounded the worry of residents in Vitthalwadi-Anandnagar, as the line of demarcation shows many more housing societies in the no-development zone, than declared earlier. The residents are now trying to figure a way out to ensure that their properties are not tagged illegal.

Sarika Thombre, who has been residing at Vitthalwadi–Anandnagar for over 10 years, was taken aback when she learnt that the society she resides in now falls under the no-development zone.

“The authorities from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had served notices to the societies that were in this zone. We have never received such a notice. We were under the impression that this society does not fall in the affected zone. We have all the permissions in place. How did they suddenly realise that this is the no development zone? Were they sleeping when they issued the permission earlier,” asked a dazed Thombre.

Another resident from the area, Suhas Vispute, was equally taken aback when he saw the new map. He said, “I bought this home a year ago and moved here. If this were illegal, then the documentation wouldn’t have been done. No one informed us that this falls in the blue line. I was told that the society suffered the floods only once 10 years ago. Why this sudden change, and what is to happen with our homes now?”

Another resident from a neighbouring housing society, Lalita Ghadge, blamed the authorities for not heeding their requests to build a wall to ensure that the water from the rivulet doesn’t flow into the surrounding societies. “All they did was to just remove the debris and make a big display of the fact that they were working. They actually don’t do any work, and now they are declaring our properties illegal,” said Ghadge. Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said, “Our construction was put on hold to have the permissions in place. We were not only asked to procure the permissions from PMC but also obtain a no-objection certificate from the irrigation department. The maps uploaded earlier were not like this. It is clear that the line has changed.”

The National Green Tribunal had asked the civic body to remove the illegal debris in the river bed. While pronouncing this order, the court had also asked the authorities from the irrigation department to map the flood line. These maps were recently released on the irrigation department’s website, with the visible difference between the earlier and new image. While the number of societies under the no-development zone earlier was not more than 20, today it stands more than doubled. The residents are not only shocked to find that their properties now fall under the no-development zone, but are also questioning the irrigation department for making this public so late.

The authorities at the irrigation department were however nonchalant on the issue and claimed that both the maps were similar. As Pandurang Shelar, the executive engineer, at the Khadakwasla irrigation department, said, “Earlier, the drawing displayed the flood line in a vertical frame, while now the same is shown in a horizontal frame. Now, in the Google Maps, the entire affected area can be seen marked on the flood line.” On further probe, Shelar however conceded to declaring that there may have been a “slight change based on the nullahs and streams flowing towards the river surrounding this area”.

Advocate Asim Sarode, the lawyer and environmentalist representing the petitioner in the Vitthalwadi road case, said “The new blue line is a display of the irrigation department’s illegal work. The one demarcated in 2011is the original and the correct blue line. The position of the flood lines cannot change even if the methodology of its representation changes. No other blue line can be demarcated by the irrigation department without following scientific principles. A vulnerable situation is being created for the residents needlessly. The authorities have to be blamed for this, and the irrigation minister should take cognisance of the matter.”

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